Turning a Plastic Bin into an Airbrush Spray Booth

[@Swerewolf]

So where did you get the 3D file for the ventilation thing? Do you have the STL files by chance or posted them somewhere like thingiverse?

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I modeled them in TinkerCAD. I haven’t posted them, but that’s a good idea. I’ll look into that and when I figure out the best way to do this I’ll put the link in the description

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I made the Tinkercad files public. There is now a link for them in the description.

[@Swerewolf]

@@MackeMakerSpace you rock! Thank you!

[@jesterger]

Hi Brother Bob. I am a recently retired maintence worker and have 45 years experience with airbrushes. I like what you did (mainly because it's close to what I made for my airbrushing). Two things that will help you. Your filter is a bit of overkill, that's why it's not drawing the fumes away fast enough. You can easily get by with a non-pleated filter. I buy 16" X 20" frameless, furnace hammock filters. You can cut to the size of your holder and you'll get like 8 pieces for $20 CAD. Next, replace the clear plastic tape with real, aluminum duct tape. Both of these can be found in the heating section of any hardware store. The plastic tape will not hold up as the glue dries out and loses it's stickiness.

[@alexgra4363]

Hello. I see your comment was 8 months ago but I hope you see this. So it seems you know a lot about airbrush. I reacently bought one and gave not even tried yet because im about to build a booth. My question is. I have an unused vacuum cleaner and was thinking about using it for the ventilation, so the question is, is it too strong and if so should I use 1/2/3 of the fans in this video? Would appreciate the help :)

[@jesterger]

@@alexgra4363 it would work, yes. If you can stand the noise. You still want to vent the fumes to the outside. The main purpose of the booth is to vent the fumes away from your face.

[@alexgra4363]

@@jesterger yeah so what I was going to do and now when I know it works. I will use my Dremel and start with cutting the front part as to get direct access to the vacuum hole and then glue some sort of connection there for a ventilation pipe as to be able to out it a bit awat from the station itself for the noice. Then same thing on the exhaust part for a pipe that goes out the window. Thank you :)

[@AndreaDeTogni]

Hey jester, sorry to question. I'm Italian and I look up what is a "furnace hammock filter". I find images but I cannot find how it's technically called in italian. Do you think that kitchen hood filters are ok for this job? Thanks! I'm also not sure what is a non-pleated filter...

[@jesterger]

@@AndreaDeTogni Look for any flat, not woven. filter material. Aquarium filter material will work. Ebay or Amazon, is a good source. A kitchen hood filter would work. Not the best but better than nothing.

[@RetroResurrectionAI]

Great video; the spray booth looks fantastic, and the plastic bin is a better choice than cardboard, like most other DIY booths I have seen. The suction issue you are having is not due to the size or power of the fan but to a lack of vacuum. By mounting the fan directly on the filter, you diminish its ability to move air. When mounting the fan directly on the filter, you only get airflow over the surface area of the fan blades and rely on the fan to move the air. So, air is only flowing over the part of the filter that is the same size as the fan (4 to 6 inches). Computer fans are designed to work by creating low pressure in the case. Then, the high-pressure air outside the case is forced into the case from any available opening (Usually filtered intakes on the front top or bottom). The case must be relatively airtight as the fans blow hot air out, a vacuum is created in the case, and cool air from outside the case gets sucked in. The same concept is used in vacuum cleaners; they have small fans but use large chambers (AKA the dustbin of the vacuum cleaner). As the fan sucks the air out of the dustbin, a vacuum is created, and the air is forced into the opening, such as the hose or brushes. That is why vacuum cleaners lose suction as the dustbin gets full. The fan is still moving the same amount of air. It just doesn't have the negative air chamber to create the suction. The important thing is having a negative space that creates a vacuum. This long-winded explanation is just to say you need an air-tight chamber between your fan and your filter. As the fan sucks the air out of that chamber, it will force air in through the filter. This will do two things: increase the intake surface area and airflow. An easy fix is to make the opening on the back of the plastic bin larger; a square about 1/4 inch smaller than the filter should be good. Then, 3D print a chamber similar to the one you used on the back of the fan to connect the hose, obviously large enough to cover the size of the new square hole you cut. Then, taper it down to the size of the fan. You don't need a lot of volume. 3 to 4 inches from the back of the bin should be enough. Glue it to the back of the plastic bin, snap in the fan, and Bob's your uncle. You should notice a vast improvement. This video is a year old, and this comment is probably obsolete, but if anyone plans to build one, this could be helpful.

[@mongolrobotics8646]

Thank you great advice

[@robertfranklin5523]

Built something almost identical a number of years back. Used a PC power supply and some aluminium HVAC bits for ducting. A furnace filter fits he back of the plastic bin almost exactly. For a fan I got a 12v bilge blower meant for small boats. Not expensive and has the advantage of being spark proof, (gas fumes in the bilge), which I thought would be a good idea for solvent based paints. 20 years in a lab, safety first. Works a treat.

[@TheClahey]

The bilge blower is a great idea. I couldn't find anything explosion-proof AND affordable. Thanks for the very helpful tip.

[@prometheuszero9]

Yeah, I would have never even known or thought to look for something like the bilge blower. Great suggestion, they're pretty affordable right off Amazon

[@patrickboatwright470]

Outstanding use of simple everyday items. Wonderful video.

[@brandtall9639]

Very smart. I did the same thing but cut the hole to the side. I used a Dewalt 600 cfm air mover designed to dry water damaged areas in a home. This is mounted remotely in front of a window or opening to the outdoors. The ducting is 6" flex and slides onto the (paint booth) sleeve purchased from box store. Easy on and off to move the booth out of the way when not in use. Love you design.

[@arkham67]

What I like most about this is that you can change the orientation of the storage box to paint taller models. Thank you for this upload.

[@gustavomarrero4826]

Great proyect!, thank you for sharing

[@jonhudema1604]

MacGyver would be proud! well done Sir!

[@yvesdubois4964]

Very nice work, the spray booth is well designed and well done. Bravo !

[@fromthebackofmymind]

Microwave fan is ac brushless spark free, no ignition from volatile fumes. About 20 watt power consumption.

[@milgeekmedia]

Very well done... And as a bonus, I never knew about the Vatican Observatory! So there's something else I've learned about today! :)

[@chriskennedy7860]

Cool idea,I've gotta try that.

[@chrisTemplar1314]

Got to love the number of 'thingies' used Brother 🤣🤣

[@rosemaryr.long-morgan9704]

Thanks for sharing Brother Bob. I too am on a tight budget, so great idea! God Bless /Rosemary

[@DominicNJ73]

Great job Father. Always nice to see our priests repping themselves on KZbin and especially as a maker.

[@MackeMakerSpace]

Thanks! Just for clarification, I’m a brother, not a priest. (That is, I am a vowed religious, but not ordained for sacramental ministry)

[@dustymojave]

My cousin is an Oblate at St. Andrew's Abby in Southern California. She's been working with the brothers there for about 35 years. Before watching this video I was entirely unaware that the Vatican HAS an Observatory. Interesting.

[@huddosworkshop9186]

Nice one I'm going to make one this week end thanks that's perfect for what I need😊

[@Lorddarthvader1701]

I like this idea, I have no area in my shop for a large permanent mounted spray booth, awesome video thank you for the Tinkercad files also.

[@chzuniga1]

Muy buena idea, gracias lo tratare de hacer,

[@HartRaver]

I did something similar..2 bathroom ventilators,flex tubing and a special 3D print for ventilation holes in my window,so I can paint in the cld season also without having the flex tube out of window.

[@I_Don_t_want_a_handle]

What a straight up job. have a like.

[@randomstew]

Great idea putting the lights on the outside and then a strip of replaceable tape on the inside. That idea alone is worth the price of admission.

[@the300poundleprechaun9]

thx for this and showing you can makea simple booth and dont need a fancy overpriced one.

[@majormanfredrex]

The concept also works for a small sandblasting booth, but the extraction is not required. The spent sand can be poured out into a container and reused later.

[@MackeMakerSpace]

Nice idea! I think you are right, though you would definitely want to redesign the plastic curtain to prevent blasting beads from flying out. I have used the beads in my research (long story) and I can say that they get EVERYWHERE. I think this is why commercial blasting cabinets are fully enclosed glove boxes.

[@marcelocampos8935]

Hello Brother . Very nice project. Thanks for share....

[@jacekbrylka8837]

I am a modeler and atheist from Poland , congrats on your creativity , I made a paint chamber myself from an office cabinet on wheels . Best regards and good luck in the hobby .

[@dustymojave]

I too am an atheist. Raised with Catholicism. I have several family members who are deeply involved in the Catholic Church. Some people seem to need a Greater Being. Some of us do not. I say " To each his own." I consider our religion to be the very oldest of all. I find atheists to be more likely to be truly Good people than those who follow a God. We are more inclined to take personal accountability for what we do or do not do than those who lean on some god for "guidance" and "forgiveness". That said, the Brother here seems a good fellow. I hate Noone for their religion unless they use it as a tool to hate others. In the history of man I think the 2 biggest killers have been religion and greed. And there is a great deal of overlap between the 2 categories.

[@ElwinWay]

Paint for airbrush should have the consistency of milk. Put some milk in a glass and swirl it round and note how it sticks and runs down the side. Your paint should be like this. That's my rough guide lol.

[@zaboomba6635]

Skim milk specifically!

[@peterplantec7911]

This gave me some ideas on how to build my own. Thanks.

[@bobyoung1698]

I have no idea what I'm doing but I just bought four miles of clear tape.👍😉

[@eddiexx]

Interesting! ive heard though that rattle spray if sucked in concentrated amounts can ignite a fire when passing the fan. Something to keep in mind . Cheers

[@MackeMakerSpace]

That's true, but I have no intention of using a rattle can with this. It's just for the airbrush, which uses compressed air instead of the highly flammable propellant of a rattle can.

[@eddiexx]

@@MackeMakerSpace yeah also i think it has to be a considerable amount of spray to go that far. airbrush should work. very nice work on the booth, thanks for sharing it. Cheers

[@decjorden7112]

Great work can you please tell me what's the best airbrush but not too expensive would appreciate your advice thanks

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I am fairly new to airbrushing myself. I only acquired one a few months ago, and it was literally the cheapest one on Amazon. Once I get more practice and learn what I need in an airbrush, I will start researching for quality. One thing seems to be true: you get what you pay for. The cheap one I bought works, but I already see several things that aren't great with it, and that better quality airbrush systems would do much better.

[@v7w37]

Would this work without a filter? Still with the fan but without the filter in front?

[@MackeMakerSpace]

It would work okay if you are using acrylic paint or something similar that isn't hazardous. However, the point of the filter is to trap paint particulates. Without it, you may find paint exiting the tube at the other end.

[@techandpitstop4228]

Nice informotive video

[@USSRBot]

I was going to make a cardboard paint booth but may go this route. TY

[@mikeellis5347]

Thanks. I am getting into airbrushing plastic car model kits . You provided some good ideas for making one. Like you my funds are limited (fixed income on disability) . Only thing is I will have to rethink how to do the try for the filter. I don't have a 3D printer. Also there are plenty videos on KZbin for airbrushing. And books on Amazon for it. Thanks and good luck on your airbroshing.

[@MackeMakerSpace]

If you are okay with something a little less aesthetic, you can replace the 3d prints with cardboard and duct tape.

[@MackeMakerSpace]

The vent tubing really isn’t necessary for airbrushing, as long as you aren’t using the box for anything with real fumes. The filter alone should suffice.

[@fromthebackofmymind]

Cardboard rolled and hot glued. You can even use an old long sleeve shirt for ducting.

[@malcolmhodgson7540]

I am sick to death of tripping over a couple of these large plastic bins that are currently empty but just blocking the place up! Tomorrow, I will have a spray booth! Great idea!

[@simonbarnes7620]

Answer you can make a spray booth from lots of things….. if you have the ancillaries and extras to hand, I made one from a cardboard box but I had fan, lights, ducting turntable to hand. The thing is unless you are doing a lot of spraying and enamels a lot you don’t need a spray booth, I built one because I thought it was one of those things you had to have, I didn’t.

[@sayntgeorge]

I’m happy to have found your account, do you take donations for hobby supplies?

[@MackeMakerSpace]

sayntgeorge, Thank you for asking. I am glad that you enjoy my work. I do not have anything set up at the moment for accepting donations, but I am open to the idea.

[@JimmyJamba]

Great video! I'm subscribing.

[@MackeMakerSpace]

Awesome! Thanks

[@darthmaul921]

spectacular friend where you can download the stl files? Thanks a lot

[@MackeMakerSpace]

Please see my responses to the pinned comment by The Daily Smoosh

[@tonybear7071]

wow this helps a lot

[@kaptennemo1043]

super awesome

[@sirclarkmarz]

I made one out of a bin and a bathroom exhaust fan I've used it so much now it has paint stalactite hanging from the top

[@hondahirny]

The fan you used is called an “axial fan.” They’re great at moving air, but only when there is little resistance. If you look at the fans used in heating/cooling systems, they use a “centrifugal blower.” These fans work much better when moving air through filters and ducts. While a more powerful axial fan will work better, it’s not the best for that application. If you can find a moderate size centrifugal blower, it will work great. Perhaps a small fan from a old car would work. Also, bathroom exhaust fans use same type. Love the creativity on a budget. Fun video :)

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I did in fact get a different fan (as mentioned at the end of the video). It cost a few dollars more, which is what I was originally trying to avoid.

[@BobMuir100]

Sir, I am encouraged Bob England

[@williamhoenstine5057]

What is the size and where did you get the filter?

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I used a Valeo #715746 filter, but for airbrush work any decent filter will do. If I upgrade to working with more potent materials, I would upgrade the filter to something rated for fumes.

[@scottnadeau5280]

great video ...........But why does the Vatican have have a observatory

[@MackeMakerSpace]

To do good science, and in so doing, to show the world that faith and science are compatible and that the Church supports science.

[@mestevep12]

Very nice work !!..what are the filter pad details please ??

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I used a Valeo #715746 filter, but for airbrush work any decent filter will do. If I upgrade to working with more potent materials, I would upgrade the filter to something rated for fumes.

[@mestevep12]

Thank you for your prompt reply, ..so this is a vehicle filter ???

[@MackeMakerSpace]

Yes.

[@MrKswildman]

Is the fan sealed?

[@MackeMakerSpace]

Sort of. It’s not a perfect seal made with proper sealant, but the transparent tape seals the air path so the fan is drawing only from inside the spray booth.

[@thewrongguy]

Where can i buy that aurbrush kit

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I got it from Amazon. It was one of the cheapest ones. If you are looking for quality, there are many better options but they probably cost a bit more.

[@AdamusPrime76]

So the Vatican can’t spring for safety devices like a paint booth? I’m confused.

[@MackeMakerSpace]

It’s my hobby, not my job. The channel is not sponsored by the Vatican.

[@BrotherNo]

I love this budget idea but in my case no ventilation so I go outside.

[@OidHunter]

You're a bit weird but your guide is well constructed, I like it

[@Mikyll1969]

I think... by"a little underpowered" ... you mean the inexpensive computer fan was a LOTTLE underpower... but it is a nice build idea and start, overall

[@chauffeurmarco]

It's basic electrical mounting but I'm surprised that a Priest would knows that

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I am surprised that you are surprised. First, a small correction. I am not a priest. I am a religious brother. (The difference is technical but important for us.) However, there are many priests and brothers (and sisters) who have a wide variety of skills and expertise covering just about every discipline imaginable. Did you know that the first computer science laboratory in Belgium was set up by Mons. Georges Lemaitre, a Catholic priest who was also the originator of the Big Bang theory?

[@chauffeurmarco]

@@MackeMakerSpace something I didn’t know. But it’s not surprising because I’m atheist, so don’t know nothing in this field.

[@breadandbutter0080]

i had the same problem with the fan being too weak so I just bought a fan inline duct, very cheat

[@MackeMakerSpace]

That’s what I ended up doing too. It will come in handy when I scale up to ventilate the entire workbench

[@tinmanozzie]

can'rt afford a small spray booth, but can afford a 3D printer?

[@websitesthatneedanem]

Why not just use a Cooker Hood?!

[@cali-zior]

●●●You've had that mini compressor for a long time because I want to buy one of those it seems good●●●

[@MackeMakerSpace]

I bought it just a few months ago, from Amazon. (It was included in a kit with the airbrush.) I bought basically the cheapest thing on the site. I think it's a little underpowered, and has no pressure control. It's okay as a starter kit, but if you are going to invest in airbrushing, I would recommend getting a better compressor.

[@stefanog63]

Scusami ma ha parlato di costruire una cabina di verniciatura economica...ma non sono d'accordo perché utilizzi uno strumento molto costoso che non tutti hanno a disposizione: una stampante 3 D!!!

[@MackeMakerSpace]

Hai ragione, ma si può costruire tutte le cose che ho stampato di cartone. Ho usato la stampante 3d perché c’è l’ho una stampante, ma se non avrei avuto la stampante, avrei costruito le cose di cartone.

[@bgrant1512]

A good cheap solution.

[@exodecal]

this ia not really a tight budget spraybooth...coz u used a 3d printer 😅 but nice spraybooth anyway 👍

[@CherudexGaming]

it's better to use also a facemask

[@MackeMakerSpace]

When dealing with potentially harmful airborne materials (vapors, aerosols, powders, sawdust, etc.) it is always advisable to use adequate personal protective gear regardless of the external setup. That being said, acrylic paints in the small quantities of an airbrush are not as hazardous as some materials, unless you are doing a lot of painting or are breathing the stuff directly.

[@CherudexGaming]

@@MackeMakerSpace they are not toxic, but it's better to not have stuff in lungs, just a precaution

[@big-joe-momma]

Looking at your last name and wondering if we are related

[@MackeMakerSpace]

No idea.

[@3dimensiondepartment579]

wala namang kuwenta ung mini air compressor.

[@MackeMakerSpace]

(Sorry, I don't speak tagalog). The mini air compressor that came with the kit isn't entirely useless. I have painted a few things with it by now, and it kind of works. Anyway, if I had the chance to get a better compressor, I would. It would be nice to be able to control the pressure, and if the pressure were a little higher.

[@airbrushfilmpjes]

eh... low budged... lol

[@richardsanders3567]

Using a 3d printer is a bit of a cheat as not everyone has access to one and you said this build was going to be as cheap as possible tsk tsk

[@stewall101]

You seem to have a whole heap of tools at hand, including a 3D printer BUT you are cheaping out on a airbrush spray booth. YOu could have bought one cheaper than what you spent on parts. Typical!

[@Custerd1]

You’re broke but you have a 3D printer?

[@daveb572]

Just an idea here, I'll be building one of these booths for myself. I thought the computer fan might be underpowered for your project. I'm in the process of aquiring the parts I need for my own booth. I'm using a bathroom vent fan which is quite a bit more powerful. This might be an option for you, too. They aren't all that expensive and readily available at any hardware store.

[@daveb572]

I'll be using AC to power the vent fan and adding an AC outlet to the enclosure. That way I can power the LED light strips with a cell phone wall charger and USB cable.

[@MackeMakerSpace]

You are right -- it is underpowered. I mention so near the end of the video (14:53). I also mention that I ordered a more powerful fan that is intended for ventilation. It happens to be a bathroom vent fan, just like what you suggest (though I didn't say that explicitly). And yes, it works great!